Arkham's Child
by MUFC4Life
Summary: After being abducted by Hydra, Steve is taken to Arkham Asylum, where he meets Babydoll; a 14-year-old girl who is seeking an escape from her life in the Asylum. As the two bond Babydoll begins to wonder if she has finally found the father she always wanted.
1. Chapter 1: Captain America

**Disclaimer:I don't own the Avengers, they belong to Marvel**

The Hydra base was far too quiet for Steven Rogers' liking. Captain America was not known for being jittery but this silence was making him nervous.

"Guys, I don't like this. It's too quiet," he said into his comms unit.

"I could play some music if you like. What do you listen to, Cap? Sinatra?" Said Tony Stark aka Iron Man, as ready as ever with his sarcasm. Sighing in defeat, Steve explained,

"What I mean, Stark, is that there are no guards, no patrols and no watchers in the tower. Am I the only person that sees that as strange?"

"I'm with the Captain. Something isn't right," replied Natasha Romanoff aka The Black Widow. Steve gave her his thanks and gave a quick look in her direction. He couldn't see her due to the trees but Steve had no doubt that she was there, covering the left; just as he knew that Clint Barton aka Hawkeye was covering the right, with Iron Man and Thor in the skies and Bruce Banner aka The Incredible Hulk waiting a few feet behind.

Steve turned his attention back to the Hydra base that reminded him of the bunkers they had during the war. All grey stone, steel doors and very few windows surrounded by a dense forest. It was a large building surrounded by wire fencing.

Over the comms unit, Tony was making his point as to why they should go ahead,

"Look, Jarvis has run heat scans all over that building and unless someone has found a way to fool my technology, which is impossible, then there aren't too many Hydra agents in there. So let's get this over with so we can have dinner."

"I agree with the Man of Iron," stated Thor, God of Thunder.

"Cheers Goldilocks," said Tony cheerfully. Clint also spoke up, no doubt to silence Thor's retort to Tony's nickname,

"I also agree with Stark. C'mon Cap, when has his tech ever let us down?"

"Hawkeye's right. I trust Starks technology," piped up Natasha after a few minutes of thought.

"Four to one, sorry, Cap," said Tony, who didn't sound the slightest bit sorry.

"Alright but be careful, okay," Steve said, sighing in defeat. It wasn't that he didn't trust Stark, he did; it was technology he didn't trust. Steve knew he was old fashioned but he really couldn't help it. He was born and raised in a time when technology was still relatively new. Waking up in an age where high tech gadgets were a part of everyday life was difficult. He was a man out of time. He would trust a soldier's instinct over technology every time but the others didn't always agree.

So trying to put his fears aside, Steve slowly edged forward along with Clint and Natasha. They all made it to the gate safely and Thor and Tony landed so that Iron Man could unlock the gate by using his laser to open the padlock. They lead the way through and together they headed towards the entrance making sure to be as quiet as possible as they crossed the forest floor. Steve was pleased that they were being careful, just as he asked.

With Stark's Iron Man suit making short work of the steel door (Steve winced when it hit the floor with a loud bang), they made their way inside and began their journey along the corridors, checking the rooms as they passed and finding them empty. The uncomfortable feeling Steve had in his gut that told him something wasn't right, got worse the deeper into the base they went.

The corridor came to end and filled out into a large hall filled with desks that were covered in papers. As they filed into the hall and began checking the papers to see if any were worth taking, the Avengers suddenly found themselves plunged into darkness.

"What the…?" said Thor.

"Still got that bad feeling, Cap?" asked Natasha, as Clint and Tony swore simultaneously.

"Worse than ever, Nat. Banner, we may need the Hulk. Get here as quickly as you can", said Steve speaking quickly.

"Roger that, Captain. But what's going on there?" asked Banner over the comms.

But before he could answer, Steve heard the loud sound of approaching booted footsteps.

"Everyone needs to take cover we've got company," he said quietly, knowing the team would hear him over the comms. No one argued with him and with Iron Man providing some light, they took cover behind some desks.

Steve heard the footsteps stop at the door and then one of them (a rookie no doubt), said,

"Hey, I thought the Avengers were supposed to be in here! Where the hell are they?" Confused mumbles greeted his words and Steve knew they needed to take advantage of that confusion now, before they searched the room and found them. He felt Thor and Clint tense on either side of him and he knew they were thinking along the same lines as him.

"NOW!" he shouted knowing his team-mates would understand, and sure enough the Avengers jumped up and attacked. Clint loosed his arrows in quick succession, Natasha opened fire with her guns, Thor threw his hammer taking out several guards at once, Tony fired his blasters and Steve threw his shield.

The Avengers didn't let their adversaries find their feet instead they charged them, taking them totally by surprise. After several missions together the Avengers had learned to fight effectively together, and they put that to good use now. As he knocked out more guards with his shield, he heard the unmistakable roar of the Hulk outside and vaguely wondered how the Hulk planned on getting to them, Steve hoped he didn't try coming through the roof, he did not want to be buried under rubble.

As the Avengers fought, it was becoming apparent that they were helplessly outnumbered. As one Hydra went down, two more took their place. Although the Avengers fought well, Hydra's advantage in numbers was starting to tell.

"Guys, we need to get out of here, there's just too many of them," said Steve, ducking as Thor swung his hammer.

"I can get us out through the roof but I'll need time to laser through, not to mention space," replied Tony.

"Alright, everyone cover Stark and give him room to work," ordered Steve.

Steve's orders were obeyed immediately and without question. The Avengers formed a circle around Tony leaving him room to work, whilst more Hydra agents flooded into the room.

"Better work quickly, Stark," said Natasha, dodging a punch.

"Oh, Tasha, I know how to be quick," Tony replied. Steve had no doubt that Stark was smirking inside his suit.

Tony hovered just below the roof with one hand on the roof (didn't want it falling on him after all), as he used the laser on the other hand to start making a hole in the roof big enough for them to escape through.

With Tony working away, Steve concentrated on the Hydra agents that were in front of him. His shield was his only weapon but it was made out of the toughest metal in the world and in his hands it was as deadly as any gun, arrow or hammer. When Steve threw his shield, he used his fists and fought hand to hand, until his shield returned to him.

It took Tony five minutes to make a hole in the roof and with that bit of section removed; Steve could hear the Hulk's roars and the gunfire of Hydra get louder. It sounded like the Hulk was busy out there.

"Okay guys, you need to get out of here now! Stark take Barton and Thor take Romanoff and get out of here," Steve ordered.

"What about you, Captain Rogers?" asked Thor as Natasha put her arms round his neck and he raised his hammer.

"I'll keep these guys busy until one of you comes back for me. But not until the others are safe, okay?"

"I'm not sure I like this plan, Cap," said Tony nervously as he took Clint under the arms.

"I trust you both to come back for me," said Steve with confidence.

"Stay alert, Cap," said Clint as Thor and Natasha disappeared through the hole in the roof.

"I'll be back in five minutes, Cap," said Tony before he and Clint disappeared.

With his friends on their way to safety, Steve focused on the agents that now surrounded him. It took only a few seconds for him to realise that there was too many for just him alone. But Steve had never backed down from a fight and he never gave up and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. He just needed to hold them off until Tony came back. As Steve fought on he suddenly felt a sharp and intense pain in the side of his head and then he knew only darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: Captain America

The first thing that greeted Steve when he slowly began to regain consciousness was a gentle throb in the side of his head, where a Hydra agent had taken him by surprise with what he suspected was a baseball bat.

 _I've_ _been captured_ , thought Steve, when he realised that he could feel a hard mattress beneath him, and as he slowly opened his eyes he saw that he was in a small room with stone walls that had no windows. A single light bulb was caged in the centre of the ceiling; it provided sufficient light for Steve to take a look around. His room consisted of a table, chair, his bed and a toilet in the far corner. The walls were bare but for scratch marks that looked to Steve as if they had been made by fingernails. A steel door completed the bleak cell.

Deciding to slowly sit up, Steve pushed himself up so that he was sat with his back against the wall. It was as he did so that he suddenly realized that he was no longer in his Captain America uniform, instead he was in ill-fitting grey pants and shirt. Looking down he saw the words _Arkham Asylum_ stitched on the front.

Steve had heard plenty of stories about Arkham Asylum, all of them horror stories. It was an institute for the criminally insane and held some of the worst criminals mankind had to offer. Given that he was taken by Hydra, Steve guessed that Arkham was owned by them.

 _They must have brought me here because it is the last place my team-mates would think to look for me,_ thought Steve, suddenly wondering what they had done with his shield.

As he sat on his bed trying to work out what he was going to do, the door to his cell opened and in worked a beautiful young girl holding a tray. A guard closed and locked the cell door once the girl was inside. Steve watched cautiously as the girl walked silently to the desk and laid the tray on top. The tray, he saw, was covered in medical supplies and the girl was walking slowly towards him, holding a bowl of water and a cloth.

"Would it be alright if I cleaned your wounds? They may become infected if I don't," she said, her voice small and gentle was barely above a whisper. Steve looked at her brilliant sea blue eyes that held concern amidst the overwhelmingly haunted, deadened look that made Steve's heart ache. He nodded his consent for her to tend to injuries he was only vaguely aware of.

As she worked, tending to his head injury first, Steve took a closer look at the young girl. She was beautiful with gentle elfin features and porcelain skin. She was dressed in a grey sleeveless dress that stopped mid-thigh. It was torn, ragged and dirty but it fit her slim frame perfectly. But it was her youth that bothered Steve. She was a child, maybe in her early teens, but a child none the less. What was a young girl doing in a place like Arkham? She seemed sane enough to Steve and she was gentle and tender as she cleaned and bandaged his wounds, as if trying not to hurt him. He doubted an inmate would be quite so gentle.

"What's your name?" he asked, wondering if she would talk to him but feeling that it wouldn't hurt to try. He felt her tense slightly as she cleaned a rather nasty cut on his arm.

"Your wound will need stitches," she said quietly. Steve watched her fetch a needle and thread from the medical tray and couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Babydoll," she said so suddenly and quietly that Steve almost missed it and he wasn't sure he heard her right.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"My name is Babydoll," she said with a bit more confidence, looking Steve in the eye for the first time before quickly looking away.

"It's nice to meet you, Babydoll. My name is Steven Rogers," he said giving her a gentle smile. Babydoll surprised him by giving him a small, shy smile in return, before focusing once more on stitching the wound on his arm.

"Do you work here?" he asked kindly, not wanting to frighten her.

"No," was the only reply he got. Steve frowned slightly at her answers, as it left him feeling confused. Babydoll's dress had the words _Arkham Asylum_ on it too and it was clearly the same material and colour as Steve's clothes. But if Babydoll wasn't an inmate and she wasn't an employee, than what on earth was she?

Steve looked closer at Babydoll's expression, trying to detect a lie; but had his view obscured by her long, raven hair. Gently moving her hair behind her ear in the hopes of reading her expression, he noticed her flinch away as if she was expecting a blow. Steve felt his heart ache at the knowledge that such a young girl should expect pain from a simple touch.

"It's okay I'm not going to hurt you. I was just wondering what a nice young girl like yourself is doing in a place like Arkham," he said wanting to reassure her that he meant no harm. To his surprise, Babydoll blushed at his words but she didn't say anything, she simply continued to stitch his wound. But he couldn't help but notice the slight furrowing of her brow, as if she was deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking.

"I live here," Babydoll said, taking Steve by surprise yet again. Her words made him feel nauseous. This poor girl lived in the hell that was Arkham Asylum! He tried not to think about what it must be like to grow up surrounded by the worst criminals imaginable.

Babydoll finished bandaging his wounds as Steve silently watched her, wondering how he could get her to talk to him. So far she had answered all his questions but only after long silences, which he guessed she used to decide whether or not to answer him. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable and he had no desire or intention of hurting her. Honesty, he decided, was the best option; no doubt Stark would have disagreed.

"Babydoll, would it be okay if I asked you some questions?" Steve asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Babydoll nervously.

"I don't want to get you into trouble but I need to where in Arkham I am and how long I've been here," he explained as gently and as kindly as he could.

He waited patiently as Babydoll stood in front of the desk, fiddling nervously with her hair. Wanting to reassure her, he added,

"I promise you, Babydoll, I won't tell a soul that you answered my questions. I swear it." Babydoll looked at him, no doubt surprised by his sincerity. After much thought and a quick glance at the closed door, she answered.

"You're in the basement of Arkham and I think you've been here for about half a day, I'm not sure," she said quietly and quickly, as if she wanted to get the words out before she changed her mind.

Steve gave her a bright smile and she rewarded him with a small smile of her own.

"Thank you, Babydoll. I really appreciate it."

They remained in an almost companionable silence until they both heard the sound of the door being unlocked. Babydoll jumped at the sound before quickly turning round and picking up the tray that had the bowl and, what was left of the medical supplies on it. Steve's first instinct was to jump up and place himself between the door and the child. As he did so he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Turning he saw Babydoll looking at him with a sad smile, before she walked past him to the open door.

He watched her leave with a sinking feeling. He was not able to protect her; not as long as he was in this cell. But Steve intended to change that but in order to escape he was going to need a little help. He wondered where his friends were and what they were doing; suddenly missing them more than ever.


	3. Chapter 3: Iron Man

Tony downed the glass of scotch in a single gulp but it did nothing to diminish his worry for Steve. It had been a week since Steve had been kidnapped and they were still no closer to finding him. Tony scowled at the thought; he was not used to failure but everything he had done to try and find the good Captain had failed.

When Tony had gone back for Steve, he had known something was wrong when he realised how quiet it was. Trying to ignore the rising panic he had felt, Tony had entered the base through the hole he had made in the roof, only to find the room empty but for the Captain's shield which lay forgotten about on the dusty floor. No Hydra agents, no Captain America.

Tony remembered the sinking feeling that he had got in his heart and stomach when he realised that he had taken too long. It had taken Tony longer than he anticipated getting Clint to the Quin-jet and back to the base with Thor close behind. But by the time they had returned Hydra had vanished along with their friend. He and Thor had searched the woods but there was no sign of Steve. Romanoff and Barton had done a sweep of the surrounding area in the Quin-jet but found nothing. They had searched other Hydra bases that they knew about, especially those that were close by but found nothing. Jarvis had been unable to track Steve's comms unit, stating that it had gone off-line three minutes after Tony had left with Barton.

Tony downed another scotch in an attempt to chase the unpleasant memories away. As he put the glass back on the counter he found himself face to face with a disapproving Pepper.

"Getting drunk won't help you find Steve, Tony," she said gently, taking the bottle away.

"It's worth a try. I mean being sober hasn't helped me find him, so I figured I'd give being drunk a try," said Tony casually.

"Tony, you know Steve's abduction wasn't your fault," said Pepper kindly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Tony scoffed at that but made no attempt to remove Pepper's hand.

"It wasn't your fault, Tony and I know that when we get Steve back, he'll tell you the same," she said firmly.

"No, Pepper, Steve won't blame me but it was my fault. I should have been there for him. I should never have left him alone but I did; that's why it's my fault," said Tony bitterly. He suddenly wondered if this was how his father had felt for all those years that he had searched for Captain America. Had his father also felt this desperate need to know what had happened to his friend, and this stubborn determination to never give up? Tony knew he would stop at nothing to find Steve no matter what it took or how long.

 _Wow,_ he thought, _I'm_ _actually becoming my father._ With that thought Tony began searching the bar for something stronger. Next to him he heard Pepper give a resigned sigh and he would happily have bet his company that she was shaking her head at him.

" _Sir, Director Fury is here and he's asking to see you and the Avengers,"_ announced Jarvis, the A.I. that ran what had once been Stark Tower but was now the Avengers Tower.

"Send him up and tell the others to get their butts in here," said Tony.

 _"_ _Already on it, sir,"_ replied Jarvis.

Tony sat on the settee with a glass of vodka, feeling disgruntled that he hadn't been able to find anything stronger. He was certain that Pepper was responsible but hadn't the heart, or the energy, to be mad at her.

Ever since he had turned Stark Tower into Avengers Tower a few months ago, he had slowly convinced the others to move in. Tony had pointed out that it made perfect sense. They all lived in New York anyway, well except Thor of course, so they weren't moving far and they could get to an emergency quicker if they were all together. It took some persuading but eventually they had all agreed; no doubt in an attempt to shut Tony up. He gave them their own entire floor, along with permission to decorate it to their tastes. Steve had moved in a few weeks ago and Tony had been amazed, and a little horrified, at how little he seemed to own.

* * *

Clint and Natasha were the first to arrive, closely followed by Thor, who had stayed on Earth to help search for Steve. To Tony's surprise Bruce arrived with Fury. Bruce still travelled but had moved into the Tower, where he worked with Tony whenever he was in the USA.

Everyone took a seat in the large living area, which sported a large settee, several comfy chairs and a large flat screen TV on the far wall. Fury chose to stand, placing himself in front of the TV with his hands behind his back. His stance made Tony uneasy; it was the way Fury stood when he had to deliver bad news.

"Okay, we did a thorough search of the woods that surround the Hydra base where Steve was taken. We didn't find anything except tire tracks on one of the dirt roads leading out of the woods. We followed it for about mile and a half and found an abandoned truck on the side of the road," said Fury, getting straight to the point. He paused for a moment as if to brace him for what he was about to say, but Tony couldn't wait a moment.

"Well did the truck have anything in it that can help us? Captain America perhaps?" he said impatiently. Fury sighed and his weary expression told Tony that he wasn't going to like what the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D had to say.

"Not exactly, but we did find something of Steve's?"

"What? We have his shield," said Bruce looking confused and anxious; said shield was currently lying on Steve's bed where Tony had left it, ready for its owners return.

"We found his Captain America uniform in the back of the truck…it was covered in blood that we've positively identified as Steve's," said Fury, with a calm that Tony doubted the man felt.

Tony felt the entire colour drain from his face at Fury's words. He looked around at his friends as if hoping one of them would tell him that this was a sick joke. But one look at them told him they were as shocked and horrified as he was. Clint had crushed the coke can he had been holding, Natasha looked paler than Tony had ever seen her, Thor had grabbed his hammer, Mjolnir, and looked ready to use it; and Bruce looked like he was on the verge of Hulking out, his ears were an alarming shade of green.

The silence was becoming suffocating. Nobody knew what to say and even Tony couldn't think of a witty or sarcastic comment to make. Pepper gripped his hand tightly, her face lined with worry.

"Is there anything we can use from the truck to track Steve?" asked Clint, who looked ready to kill.

"No, the truck was all but stripped bare and after that the trail runs cold. Wherever they took him they made sure that he couldn't be identified by his clothes. But wherever is he's hurt, we just don't know how badly," explained Fury, sounding exhausted.

"We're going to dig deeper into Hydra and see if we can find him that way. We think he may have been taken to a Hydra base we don't know about," he added.

Tony was barely listening. He didn't know what to say, think or feel right now. Never had he felt so completely helpless, not even in Afghanistan. Howard Stark had searched tirelessly for Captain America, scientists had found him, and he, Tony Stark, had lost him. The thought made him feel sick.


	4. Chapter 4: Captain America

Steve watched with amusement and delight as Babydoll's face lit up as he described his home-town of Brooklyn to her. He couldn't help but smile at the excitement in her voice when she asked him to describe the Brooklyn Bridge. This had become a regular occurrence. Babydoll brought him a meal in the morning and another one in the evening; he wasn't given anything in between so Babydoll had taken to sneaking him snacks that he suspected she was stealing from the kitchen. To repay her, Steve had asked her to share some of his meal as he suspected her meals were just as meagre as his own. It took some convincing but in the end she acquiesced, although she took as little as possible. As they ate the two of them would talk, or more acutely Steve talked while Babydoll listened and asked questions.

Despite her reluctance to speak at first, unless she had to, Steve noticed that the more time they spent together, the more comfortable she became with him and he was able to garner some information about Arkham. The more he heard the more he wanted to take Babydoll away. He was becoming increasingly fond of the young girl and developed a desperate desire to protect her and keep her safe.

"Babydoll, have you ever left Arkham?" Steve asked kindly. Babydoll, who was sat on the floor next to his chair as she always did, looked surprised by the question.

"No, never and if I have I don't remember it," she said in her quiet, timid voice.

"Would you like to?" he asked. She stayed quiet for a moment, biting her bottom lip in thought.

"Would I be allowed to stay with you?" asked Babydoll looking up at him with those big, haunted blue eyes of hers.

"Of course, I'd look after you. I could take you to Brooklyn and show you the Bridge," replied Steve, who liked the thought of showing Babydoll the place where he was born and grew up. He liked her company and he didn't like the thought of leaving her with people who might hurt or neglect her.

"How would we leave?" she asked sounding frightened.

"I don't know yet, but I know my team-mates will be looking for me so if they come they can rescue us both; unless I can come up with a plan," he said, looking gently down at the child sat at his feet. He gave her a kind smile, which she returned before picking up the empty food tray and giving a knock on the cell door. Just before she left, she turned to Steve and surprised him, when she said,

"Goodnight, Mr. Rogers."

 **Babydoll**

After cleaning Mr. Rogers' empty dishes, Babydoll was lead back to her room by one of the guards, who threw her into her cell and locked her in for the night. Babydoll lay down on her mattress and curled up into a ball. Her cell held nothing but a mattress and toilet and had no windows, she was enclosed in darkness and Babydoll loathed the darkness. You can't see what might be coming for you in the darkness. To take her mind off her fear she thought back to her conversation with Mr. Rogers. He was a sweet, kind and gentle man, and she had never met anyone like him; he never hurt her or pushed her to talk and he told such wonderful stories of the outside world. Babydoll had always wondered what it was like outside of Arkham. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to live with Mr. Rogers. She smiled, it would be so much better than living in Arkham.

As she was daydreaming, Babydoll heard loud voices outside her cell. At first she tried to ignore them, just as she did all the other noises that could be heard in Arkham at night, but then she heard one them say the name, Rogers and she knew that they were talking about her Steven Rogers.

Crawling to the door of her cell, Babydoll gently put her ear against the door and listened closely. She knew they wouldn't check on her, they saw her as a slave and ignored her when they had no use for her.

"I'm telling you it won't work. Not on Rogers," said an annoyed voice.

"It'll work, even Rogers can't take day after day of torture and not crack," replied a gruff voice, as the men moved past her door and out of earshot.

Babydoll sat back heavily onto the cold stone floor of her cell and gave a horrified gasp. Torture! They were going to torture Mr. Rogers; nice, kind, gentle Mr. Rogers. She felt her heart constrict and tighten at the thought. No, no, no, no, they couldn't hurt him. She had to do something. Starring at the door, Babydoll knew what she had to do; she had to get sweet Mr. Rogers out of Arkham.

 **Captain America**

Steve wasn't sure why he bothered to try getting comfortable, his mattress simply hadn't been made for comfort. Not that it mattered, as sleep wasn't anymore quick in coming tonight than it had any other night. He had been in Arkham Asylum for over a week, according to Babydoll, and in that time he had had only one visitor, Babydoll. Not that Steve was complaining but it was unnerving. Why hadn't Hydra come to question him? What were they waiting for? Steve had the disturbing notion that Hydra might plan to use him as bait to capture or kill the other Avengers. The thought really bothered Steve as he didn't want to be the reason that his friends were led into a trap. Closing his eyes, Steve pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and attempted to sleep.

The next morning, Steve awoke to find Babydoll sat on the floor next to his bed, watching him with a worried expression.

"Mr. Rogers, I'm sorry; I should have woken you but you looked very peaceful and I didn't want to disturb you. I've brought your breakfast," she said speaking quickly. Steve could tell by the way she started to play with her hair that she was very nervous.

"Hey, Babydoll, what's wrong?" he asked kindly. Without thinking about it, Steve gently took her hands in his and gave them a tender squeeze to try and give her some comfort. It took a few seconds for Steve to remember that Babydoll didn't seem to like being touched; he was going to let go when he realized that Babydoll was gripping his hands tightly and looking at him with wide eyes. Steve knew at once that something was wrong.

"You need to leave. They're going to hurt you, Mr. Rogers. You need to leave!" she insisted giving his hands a tug as if she could take him away by sheer force of will.

"Who wants to hurt me, Babydoll?" asked Steve remaining calm.

"My masters do; we have to get you out of here. Please I don't want them to hurt you."

Steve suddenly felt something press into his hand and he looked down to see that Babydoll had pressed a key into his hand.

"Is this the key to my cell?" Steve asked incredulously. She smiled shyly and said,

"Not exactly; it's a master key, I stole it from my master this morning when I cleaned his office. I stole some paper as well and made this for you." Babydoll took the paper from her dress pocket and pressed it into Steve's hands. Looking closely Steve could see that Babydoll had drawn him an impressive map of Arkham with an escape route clearly marked out.

"This is impressive, Babydoll. Well done," Steve enthused and was rewarded when her look of surprise gave way to a beaming smile that he couldn't help but return. He wondered vaguely if anyone had ever praised her before.

"Well Babydoll, what do you say, should we leave now?" asked Steve studying the map. Looking up he saw her smile fade.

"We, what do you mean? I must remain so that they don't suspect anything. I'm going to give you as much time as possible to get away by setting off a fire alarm in the opposite wing to the one you're going to escape through," she answered as if this should have been obvious.

"No Babydoll, I said I would leave with you and I intend to. I'm not going to leave you behind where I can't protect you," said Steve earnestly.

"But you must, there's no time. You must leave now," replied Babydoll who stunned Steve into silence by wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.

"I know you'll come back. You'll come back with your Avenger friends and take me away. I know because I trust you, Steven Rogers," she whispered into his chest as she hugged him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and felt the weight of her words settle on his heart. She trusted him! He knew he was likely the first person that she had ever said that to. He gently whispered an oath,

"I promise you, Babydoll, that no matter what, I will come back for you. I swear it."

Nodding her head, she let go of Steve and went to his untouched breakfast that lay on the desk. Babydoll picked up the bowl and promptly dumped the contents into the toilet. Grabbing hold of the tray, with the now empty bowl on it, she walked towards the cell door but stopped to whisper quietly to Steve,

"Don't leave this cell until you hear the fire alarm." Steve nodded his understanding and watched as she knocked on the door and waited for it to open, feeling helpless. The door opened and closed separating Steve and Babydoll and leaving him more determined than ever to fulfil his oath.


	5. Chapter 5 : Iron Man

Tony realised that they hadn't gotten very far in their search for Captain America. All they had managed to do so far was search the entire forest and surrounding buildings several times in desperation. S.H.I.E.L.D had been digging deeper into Hydra but had not yet found anything that would help them find Steve.

In the S.H.I.E.L.D hellicarrier the mood of the Avengers had darkened with every day that Steve remained missing. The Avengers were the sort of people who weren't used to feeling helpless; they were used to coming out on top no matter the obstacles put in their path. They were friends that were there for each other; whenever any of them had needed Steve's help he was right there for them without doubt or hesitation. And now, when he needed them, they were helpless to do anything to help. Everything the Avengers tried had brought up little but disappointment.

Sitting around the table overlooking the main control room, Tony picked at his lunch and couldn't help but wonder if Steve was being fed. The image of a starving Captain America that his over active imagination produced put Tony right off his food and he pushed his plate away, feeling slightly nauseas.

"I don't understand how S.H.I.E.L.D can have nothing. I mean, what the hell is it that my money is paying for?" asked Tony, glaring at Nick Fury who was stood at the rails overlooking the control room below.

"It's not as easy as you seem to think. Hydra has been around since the Second World War and has worked hard at keeping itself hidden," replied Fury not even bothering to look round. Tony opened his mouth to tell him that he knew all about Hydra, having hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D's computers when he felt they weren't doing enough and he suspected them of keeping information from them. But before he could utter a scathing remark, one the agents below started yelling,

"Director Fury, Sir. We're receiving reports from agents on the ground that Captain Rogers has just walked into Gotham Police Station and is asking to speak to you, Sir."

At those words Tony and the other Avengers jumped up so fast that their chairs went flying.

"Where?" asked Bruce.

"What the hell is he doing in Gotham?" demanded Clint.

"How far is this Gotham?" That was Thor.

"Is he hurt?" asked Natasha, ever the practical one.

"Is he okay? What help does he need? What's he wearing?" demanded Tony, typically wanting to know everything at once.

"Why don't you guys hop in the Quin-jet and found out?" said Fury, who successfully managed to hide both his relief and his amusement. These may be Earth's Mightiest Heroes but sometimes they reminded him of young children.

* * *

Tony was the first to reach the Quin-jet closely followed by Clint, Natasha, Thor and bringing up the rear, to Tony's surprise, was Bruce who wasn't usually fond of enclosed spaces. Tony looked at Bruce with a questioning look.

"He might need medical help and there's no way I'm going to make him wait," explained Bruce, holding up the medical bag Tony hadn't realised he'd been holding.

As Clint and Natasha settled into their usual place in the cockpit, Tony took a seat beside Bruce and opposite Thor.

"Why did you ask what he was wearing?" asked Bruce breaking the silence that had settled on the five friends as they flew towards Gotham.

"Well, we've got his Captain America uniform, so either his capturers gave him clothing or he walked into the Gotham Police Station either in his underwear or completely naked," stated Tony, as if this was obvious; Bruce simply shook his head but Tony could see the smile on his face. Tony had grown fond of Steve over the past few years but if he found out that Captain America had walked around Gotham naked, Tony would never let Steve live it down; after all what were friends for.

It only took ten minutes for them to reach Gotham International Airport. Fury had arranged for a car to take them to the station, so they arrived to find a black SUV waiting for them on the tarmac. It was a fifteen minute drive to the Police Station, so Tony took the opportunity to observe the city flashing past his window. He had been to Gotham only once before when Stark Industries had been negotiating a partnership with Wayne Enterprises. Pepper had done most of the negotiating and Tony had spent the week trying to woo Pepper rather than Wayne Enterprises. Pepper had refused to take him with her on his next few visits, but he liked Gotham with its tall buildings, busy streets and interesting people.

Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) was situated in a multi-storey stone building in downtown Gotham. Tony led the way into the building completely ignoring the stares; he had no doubt that they made an impressive yet odd bunch. There was Tony, dressed impeccably in an Armani suit followed by Thor in his Asgardian armour and red cape, and then you had Clint and Natasha both in their black S.H.I.E.L.D uniforms, with Bruce in his well-worn suit bringing up the rear.

Ignoring everyone else, Tony walked up to the nearest officer and got straight to the point,

"Where the hell is Captain America?" he asked with a smile. He heard a groan from Clint and an exasperated "Tony!" from Bruce but he ignored them both and simply continued to stare resolutely at the young officer. The poor Police officer was seemingly unable to form words and simply pointed to what Tony guessed was the Captain's office. Walking up the stairs at the back of the room, he opened the door with the Captain's name on (that he didn't bother to read), without knocking and found an agitated Steven Rogers arguing with the Captain of the GCPD.

Tony didn't make his presence known straight away and Steve and the Police Captain had yet to notice him. Tony took the opportunity to study his friend. Steve looked paler than usual, he had a bandage around his head and on his right hand; he was wearing grey pants and a long-sleeved shirt that was clearly too big (which was saying something considering how big Steve is) and looked in desperate need of a wash and so, if Tony was honest, did Steve. He had never seen Captain America look so filthy, battered and gaunt, and Tony's heart gave a twinge at the sight of his dishevelled friend.

"Please, Captain Essen, I'm begging you to send a team with me back to Arkham. I have to go back for her," said Steve, sounding frustrated. His words forced Tony to concentrate on the conversation at hand.

"Hey Cap, you already have a team, I mean seriously it's been just over a week and you're replacing us. I'm hurt, Cap," said Tony startling Steve, who's eyes went wide at the sight of Tony and the other Avengers, who were crowded in the doorway staring with undisguised relief and joy at Steve, who wasted no time in getting to the point of his problem.

"Guys, I'm so glad you're here. I need your help," said Steve urgently. But before anyone could answer, Captain Essen spoke up,

"Captain Rogers, I understand you're concerned for this girl but you need to go to a hospital and let us see to her," she said kindly, almost patronizingly and Tony could feel himself getting annoyed. He didn't know who this girl was or why she was so important to Cap but it was clear that Steve was becoming more and more distressed and that more than anything made Tony snap.

"Okay, listen up, lady. I appreciate your concern for my friend here and I'm sure the Captain does too but it's clear that this girl's in trouble and that her safety is important to the good Captain here; so what makes you think that Captain America will meekly go to the hospital and do nothing just because you tell him to?" asked Tony, tilting his head to the side and gazing questioningly at Captain Essen, whose dark cheeks had gotten steadily darker as Tony spoke. Before she could respond, Natasha stepped forward and said,

"What Mr. Stark means to say is that we really appreciate you looking after Captain Rogers for us but we'll take it from here. We're sure you're very busy and we don't wish to take up anymore of your valuable time. Thank you." With that she grabbed Steve's arm and then Tony's and began to all but drag them out of the station. Tony heard Steve shout Thank you to the Police Captain as Natasha guided them to the SUV; it made him smile, nice to see that somethings never change.

Once they had all piled into the SUV, Bruce set about checking Steve's injuries whist Steve wasted no time in insisting they go to Arkham.

"Guys, please I need to go back to Arkham; I promised Babydoll I'd go back for her and I can't break that promise. Please, guys, she's just a child I need to get her out of there," said Steve desperately looking at them with what Tony could only describe as a puppy dog face, and he would challenge any one to say no to Captain America's puppy dog face.

"Alright, we'll rescue this Babydoll but on the way there you are definitely telling us what the hell is going on?" said Tony trying to sound stern and only partially succeeding. He was rewarded by a bright smile from Steve and an approving look from the others. As Steve began to direct the driver towards Arkham, Tony sat back and watched his friend, a smile on his face. How typical of Captain America to want to rescue a child even when injured.

Still watching Steve, Tony realised that that age old saying was true; you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Tony hadn't realised just how much he valued Steve as a friend or how much he cared about him, until Steve was forcibly removed. Tony silently swore that he would never allow this to happen again. The Avengers, he now realised, were more than just his friends, they were his family and Tony Stark would be damned if anyone was going to take them from him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the wait, guys, personal issues and illness held my attention for awhile. A guest reviewer asked if the Joker was going to be in this story and I've decided that he will be. He will be my main antagonist and will be introduced in the next chapter. Thank you for the idea and your patience. I greatly appreciate it :)


	6. Chapter 6: Captain America

After re-capping his time in Arkham, Steve set about coming up with a plan for rescuing Babydoll. Nick Fury had phoned shortly after they had left Gotham Police Station; after Steve had given a brief account of his story, Fury had promised to send back-up. He wanted that Hydra base taken. With that reassurance, Steve went back to forming a plan of action. Whatever plan he came up with he would have to execute it without his shield, as it remained at Avengers Tower according to Tony.

Steve had been surprised and thrilled to see his friends. He honestly hadn't expected his team-mates to come and get him, but he was pleased and touched that they had. He could feel Tony, Bruce and Natasha watching him closely, but he ignored them and focused his mind on helping Babydoll. There was no doubt that her Masters would blame her when they discovered he was gone. He knew they would hurt her; Babydoll's behaviour in their time together told Steve that pain was something she expected from those around her. He felt sick at the thought that Babydoll was being hurt because of him. Hopefully they would get there before serious damage was done.

"Guys, Fury's just called; back-up is at Arkham waiting for us," said Clint from the front passenger seat.

"Hey, how come they're there and we're not?" asked Tony petulantly.

"Because they've travelled by Hellicarrier and were dropped off a half mile from Arkham and don't have to deal with traffic lights," replied Clint slowly, as if he was explaining something to a child.

"How long before we get there?" asked Steve quickly before Tony could utter a sarcastic retort.

"Five minutes, Cap. We're almost there."

It was the longest five minutes Steven Rogers had ever experienced.

* * *

When they arrived at Arkham, Tony wasted little time suiting up in the Iron Man suit he was carrying in a specialised briefcase. Whilst Tony suited up, Steve found himself being pulled away from the others by Natasha and Bruce, both watching him with concern.

"Cap are you sure you're well enough for this?" asked Natasha.

"Of course," he answered but seeing the dubious looks on their faces he added,

"Look guys, let's just focus on rescuing Babydoll and when we've done that and we're back at Avengers Tower, Bruce can give me a full medical examination, I promise. Okay?"

"I'll hold you to that, Steve," said Bruce with a smile that Steve returned, before he led them both to the front of the car and immediately showed the agents and Avengers the map of Arkham that Babydoll had drawn.

"Okay, Arkham doesn't have many exits; in fact there are only four, the front and back doors, a fire escape on the left side of the building and a delivery entrance on the right side of the building, which was how I got out," said Steve as he pointed to each entrance on the map before continuing,

"It's poorly guarded, so that's the entrance I'm going to use. I'll retrace my steps and search for Babydoll. I understand you guys have your own orders from Director Fury, so I'll stay out of your way and ley you get on with it. But if you find a young girl with raven-hair and who looks to be in her early teens, I want you to treat her with the utmost kindness and tell me immediately."

The S.H.I.E.L.D agents all nodded and their commander said,

"Don't you worry about us, Captain Rogers. You can leave Hydra to us; we'll deal with them."

"The Avengers will follow Captain America," said Tony with a look that dared Steve to argue, but he didn't; for one thing he knew that it was pointless, he knew stubbornness was a trait they all shared; and for another it would waste time, time Babydoll didn't have.

* * *

As Avengers quietly made their way down the corridor, Steve couldn't help but feel naked without his shield. Natasha had given him a gun but he was used to fighting with a shield. However, as he often did, Steve decided he would make do with what he had.

So far the going had been rather quiet but Steve couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling they were being watched and stealthily followed, because every time he turned around he saw no one. They ran into a few Hydra agents but they were swiftly dealt with by Tony and Thor. All the other Hydra agents had headed for the three other entrances to try and deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.

After five minutes of walking, Steve realised that they were in the basement corridor where he had been held.

"My cell was in this corridor. I'm guessing that this is where they keep prisoners who aren't inmates, so no one finds them," he said moving along as he spoke and trying the nearest door. It opened into a cell much like his.

"Cap, I'm getting Jarvis to run heat scans on the entire corridor. If Babydoll or anyone else is here, we'll know about it," said Tony from behind Steve, who was a little surprised that Tony actually sounded serious for once, but then Arkham had that effect; the whole place just felt creepy.

"Okay, Jarvis says that there are three human heat signatures at the very end of the corridor, which he believes is Babydoll and two guards."

Steve barely waited for Stark to finish before he began sprinting down the corridor.

"Hey!" exclaimed Tony.

"Cap!" exclaimed Natasha behind him. Steve ignored them both and just kept on running, the others hot on his heels. Tony didn't bother with running and was soon flying beside Steve.

"Err…is there a plan, Cap?" asked Tony.

"Get Babydoll out of here," Steve replied never breaking stride.

As they reached the door at the end of the corridor, Tony flew ahead and fired his blasters at the two guards, who only had the time to look astonished at the sight of the Avengers running towards them, before they dropped unconscious to the floor. Steve unhooked the keys from one of the guards belt and, whilst Clint and Natasha hand-cuffed them, Steve quickly opened the door and rushed towards the figure lying helplessly on the stone bench in the middle of the dark room. He refused to look at the horrific looking instruments that lined the walls, instead he focused on Babydoll, who had her eyes closed, and tried to ignore the gut-wrenching guilt that had settled into his stomach.

"Babydoll, can you hear me? It's Steve Rogers, I've come back for you like I promised," he said to her gently, moving some of her blood-matted hair away from her face. His heart broke at the sight of her. Her dress was torn and bloodied, her arms and face were bruised and covered in cuts. It was clear Babydoll had been brutally beaten and Steve wondered if she could hear him. To his relief, at the sound of his voice, her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at him with eyes dulled with pain. Her eyes widened at the sight of him; she said nothing but she reached out a shaking, bloodied hand towards him, that Steve took gently in both of his.

"It's going to be okay, Babydoll. I'm going to take you out of here and you'll never have to come back," he said, his voice cracking. He was startled when Bruce gently put a hand on his shoulder; he had forgotten the other Avengers were there.

"Steve, we need to get her to the Hellicarrier so that I can treat her wounds. Are you okay to carry her? It might cause her distress if a stranger touches her after what she's endured," said Bruce kindly.

"I can carry her," assured Steve before he addressed Babydoll, who was still staring at him as if she couldn't believe he was really there,

"Babydoll, I'm going to pick you up now, okay? I'll try not to hurt you."

Putting one arm under her knees and the other round her shoulders, Steve lifted her as gently as he could. The Avengers silently encircled Steve and Babydoll, who used what little strength she had left to wrap her arms around his neck and gently bury her head in his shoulder.

* * *

The Avengers hadn't spoken a word since Steve opened the door to Babydoll's cell, but Steve barely noticed as he whispered words of comfort to her as they made their way out of Arkham, through the same way they had come in. Natasha and Clint led the way, looking out for any agents that came their way. Tony and Bruce were positioned either side of Steve with Thor bringing up the rear.

As they made their way through the dark, damp corridors of Arkham Asylum, Steve again felt the sensation on being watched. Only this time it was more intense. Whoever was watching them was a great deal closer than they were before. Steve picked up his pace, wanting to put as much distance between Babydoll and Arkham as quickly as he could.

"My, My, My, what have we here?" came a voice out of the darkness. The voice was soft, yet the mere sound of it sent chills down Steve's spine and set his nerves on edge. Around him, the Avengers stiffened but it was Babydoll's reaction that worried him, at the sound of the voice her entire body had gone rigid. Whoever this man was Babydoll knew and feared him.

Standing so he could see between Natasha and Clint, Steve spoke to the figure hiding in the darkness ahead,

"Why don't you come out so we can see you?"

As he spoke Clint nocked an arrow and raised his bow ready to shoot should the man try to attack.

"Boo!" said the figure as he slide into the light. He began to cackle madly. Babydoll tightened her grip at the sound. The man now standing in front of them was slender, a few inches taller than Clint and wearing the same Arkham uniform as Steve. The man's lanky, green hair fell to his shoulders. But it was the man's pale white face that told the Avengers exactly who this man was; or more specifically the twin scars that curved upwards from either side of his mouth, giving him a terrible, permanent smile.

"Well hello, Captain America. Tell me, why so serious?"

Steven Rogers squared his shoulders and looked this man in the eye. The Clown Prince of Crime; The Joker.

"What do you want, Joker?" asked Steve.

"My Babydoll, Captain. You've got what's mine. Don't you know it's rude to take things that don't belong to you? What kind of example is that for Captain America to make?"

"She's not a thing, she's a person and she doesn't belong to you."

"Oh, but she does, Captain. You see, everyone needs a legacy, something to leave behind to carry on spreading the laughter. That's what Babydoll is. You think she's sweet and gentle? She's like me. So I can't simply let you walk away. Can I?" said The Joker as casually as if he was talking about the weather, whilst at the same time, taking a menacing step towards Steve and Babydoll.

Steve held Babydoll tighter in his arms, ignoring The Jokers words and trying hard to resist the impulse to take a step backwards. He would not show weakness in front of this madman, but there was something about The Joker that made you want to put as much distance between him and you as was possible. Apparently this wasn't something that affected the Asgardian stood behind him.

"Remove yourself from our presence, Clown or you will feel the wrath of Mjolnir," said Thor, standing beside Steve and holding up his hammer to enforce his point, no doubt. But if being threatened by the God of Thunder bothered The Joker, it didn't show. Although, Steve didn't know if he was imagining it but he could have sworn that The Joker's smile had gotten bigger.

"You heard Goldilocks. We're armed; you're not so piss off. You don't scare us," said Tony cockily.

"Language, Stark," Steve retorted instinctively.

The Joker laughed.

"Naughty Iron Man. Captain America's right, you should watch your language, there are ladies present," said The Joker indicating Natasha, who replied by pointing a gun in his face.

The Joker laughed harder.

"Look, Clown, there are six of us and only one of you. Five of us are armed, you're not; so why don't you just move aside before I lose my patience and make you move," warned Clint impatiently, pointing his bow and arrow at The Joker, and looking keen to use it.

The Joker, however, was now laughing so hard he had doubled over.

Steve didn't like this, he had heard about The Joker. Thinking back on the stories he had heard about The Jokers exploits, he felt himself go cold. The Joker would not be bullied into leaving Babydoll alone. He wouldn't move unless he got something out of letting them go.

"Oh, I like you guys. You'd be a lot of fun, so here's what we'll do. I'll step aside but if you take my Babydoll, I'll make you regret it. She is mine and I don't like people taking my things, so you'll have to be punished," said The Joker, his smile never failing. His threat was very clear, take Babydoll and he'd unleash chaos.

The tension in the air was suffocating but no one said anything. Steve was the leader of the Avengers, therefore the decision was his. The Joker seemed to know this because his eyes bored into Steve. Looking down at Babydoll in his arms as she stared up at him with terror, he knew he couldn't leave her with The Joker. Anyway, S.H.I.E.L.D would make sure The Joker was locked back up, surely.

Looking the Clown Prince of Crime straight in the eye, Steve gave his answer,

"Babydoll is coming with us, Joker. Step aside; this isn't a fight you can win."

"But, dear Captain, I already have," The Joker replied, his smile never faltering. Steve got the horrible feeling that he was doing exactly what The Joker wanted him to do.

Stepping aside, The Joker gave them a little bow as they passed.

Steve could feel the clown's eyes on him and Babydoll. As they reached the stairs, Steve heard The Joker say,

"This is going to be so much fun."

When Steve looked back, The Joker was gone.

* * *

Silence followed the Avengers as they made their way to the SUV. Babydoll's body was no longer rigid but was slowly starting to shake. Steve whispered any words of comfort that came to him, as he waited for Tony to put his Iron Man suit back into its case before he slid into the SUV behind him, taking care not to aggravate Babydoll's injuries.

Setting her gently in his lap as Bruce got in beside him, he whispered,

"It's going to be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you again. I'm going to protect you."

Babydoll said nothing; she simply buried her head in his shoulder.

As Clint drove away from Arkham Asylum, the Avengers remained in deafening silence, even Tony Stark was quiet; no witty remarks. The tear streaks that were making lines down Captain America's dirty face seemed to have knocked the wit and sarcasm right out of him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I apologise for the long wait but surgery and a personal loss have kept me from writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll try and update sooner :)**


	7. Chapter 7: The Hulk

Never before had Bruce Banner simply wanted to unleash the Hulk and allow him to destroy, as much as he wanted to unleash him on Arkham. He wasn't sure what angered him more, the broken girl in Cap's arms or the distraught Steve, who was desperately trying to comfort her. After taking several deep breaths to keep his anger under control, he spoke.

"Steve, I need to see if I can deal with a few of these injuries. I need to try and stop the bleeding or she'll pass out from loss of blood," he said kindly. Steve nodded and gently whispered something to Babydoll, who visibly tensed in his arms. Bruce said nothing but waited patiently as Steve continued talking to her, no doubt reassuring her that Bruce meant no harm.

Bruce knew that Steve had managed to convince Babydoll to let him treat her when he gave him a nod to proceed. Bruce opened his medical bag, which lay at his feet, and took out a pack of anti-septic wipes; he then turned his attention to Babydoll's back and the laceration marks that covered it.

"This may sting a little, Babydoll, I'm sorry but it's necessary," Bruce warned.

Bruce couldn't see Babydoll's face as she was sitting on Steve's lap with her back to Bruce, but he could tell that she was nervous about being touched especially by a stranger. Bruce began to clean Babydoll's back as gently as he possibly could. As Bruce worked Steve tenderly stroked her hair and whispered comforting words to her, but she remained rigid with fear.

It took nearly five minutes to clean Babydoll's back. When he was finished Bruce could see that some of the whip marks looked deeper than others, generally where it was clear the whip had struck her numerous times. These would have to be stitched once they returned to base; for now he would make do with simply bandaging her to put pressure on the injuries and to stop the bleeding. Taking a thick roll of bandages out of his bag, Bruce hesitated; ideally the bandages would go beneath the dress but he knew that asking the poor girl to take it off in the SUV was a definite no, so for now he decided to simply put the bandages round her, dress and all.

Sliding closer to Steve, Bruce addressed the young girl directly,

"Babydoll, my name is Dr Bruce Banner; I'm a friend of Steve's. I'm the one that's just cleaned the wounds on your back, and now I need to bandage it. So is it okay for me to wrap this bandage round your torso? I'll dress your wounds properly when we get to the Hellicarrier," he said kindly. At first she gave no reaction to his words, but then she tilted her head to look at Steve, probably seeking reassurance. Steve looked back at her with such a fatherly expression that Bruce couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips.

"It's okay, Babydoll, Bruce is a good friend of mine and a great doctor. He's tended to my wounds loads of times. He won't hurt you, Babydoll, he's a good man. I swear it," said Steve with confidence. Babydoll seemed to consider his words for a moment before nodding her consent. With Steve's help, Bruce bandaged her most pressing injuries and by the time they had got in the Quin-jet and landed on the Hellicarrier, Babydoll had stopped bleeding.

* * *

Agent Maria Hill was there to meet them as they entered the Hellicarrier, Steve still carrying Babydoll, as she hadn't the strength to walk and could possibly have broken bones. As far as Bruce could tell the young girl didn't seem to mind, Babydoll looked content in Steve's arms. As they made their way deeper in to the Hellicarrier, Tony suddenly stopped them by putting a gentle arm on Steve's shoulder, who was leading the way with Agent Hill.

"You take Babydoll to the medical bay with Bruce and the rest of us will debrief old-one-eye," said Tony casually.

"Director Fury asked to see _all_ the Avengers," stated Agent Hill sternly.

"Yeah well, tough luck; he's getting four of us including me so he's got nothing to complain about," insisted Tony.

"Thanks, Tony," said Steve with a grateful smile.

"Don't mention it, Spangles. Now let's go, I don't want Fury giving me detention for being late," said Tony leading Hill, Clint, Natasha and Thor down one corridor while Bruce led Steve and Babydoll down another. Bruce couldn't help but smile at Tony's antics. That man never changed and, personally, he didn't want him to. Tony Stark was, without question, a never ending source of amusement.

* * *

Bruce Banner watched Babydoll look around the medical room with curiosity. Steve stood with Bruce at her bedside. They had put her in a private room and Bruce was still trying to figure out how he could get her to let him bandage and treat her wounds properly. Then an idea came to him.

"Babydoll, I need to re-bandage and properly treat your injuries. I also need to check for broken bones; in order to do that you'll have to remove your dress so I can do a full examination but I don't want to make you uncomfortable or do something that's going to upset you, so if you like I can ask a female doctor to do it?" said Bruce gently. Babydoll considered his words as she lay on the bed. As she thought it through, she started to bite her bottom lip and her brow furrowed. Bruce wondered what she was thinking but Steve seemed to have a good idea of what was going through her mind, because he said reassuringly,

"Babydoll, no one is going to be upset or angry with you if you want a female doctor to examine you. I promise you that we completely understand. Dr Banner won't mind, will you Bruce?"

"Not at all; I completely understand and I'm not angry, Babydoll," reassured Bruce with a smile. Babydoll considered for a second more before nodding, whilst giving Bruce a nervous look; clearly worried about his reaction. Bruce gave her a warm smile to show he didn't mind, but he didn't like the implication that she expected pain or punishment for preferring to allow someone else to examine her. What else had Babydoll been punished for? And how had she been punished? Bruce wondered, being careful to keep his anger in check. He didn't think Babydoll would appreciate meeting the Other Guy right now.

Excusing himself to find a nurse, Bruce made his way to the staff lounge knowing exactly who he wanted to examine Babydoll; and as luck would have it, he found Nurse Rose Roberts, a sweet, middle-aged woman with strawberry coloured hair and warm brown eyes, sitting on a settee with a cup of tea and a classic novel in her hands.

"Hey Rosie, have you got a minute?" asked Bruce, popping his head round the door.

"Bruce! Hi, sure I've got a minute. What can I do for you?" asked Rose with enthusiasm. Bruce smiled, typical Rosie, always willing to help.

"I was wondering if you'd examine and treat a young girl. I don't know her exact age but she appears to be in her teens. We took her from Arkham Asylum in Gotham. She's been beaten, whipped and tortured. She's not keen on being touched by strangers," explained Bruce as they walked to Babydoll's room.

"Well, if she's been abused, she won't like strangers touching her and I don't blame her. Poor thing!" exclaimed Rosie clearly upset. Bruce knew she didn't like the thought of any child being harmed. It angered her as much as it did him.

As they reached Babydoll's room, Rosie asked,

"What's her name?"

"Babydoll," replied Bruce and opened the door.

* * *

 **Authors Note: Next up, The Joker**


	8. Chapter 8: The Joker

Relaxing on his bunk, The Joker contemplated Arkham's new arrival and what he could do with him. Captain America had arrived in Arkham a few days ago and the inmates had been kept in the dark about his presence within the Asylum; all except The Joker. Joker had his own way of extracting information from the guards, bribery, blackmail and fear were the ones he used the most, especially fear. It was amazing what people would tell you when they knew you wouldn't hesitate to disembowel them if they refused. As such, Joker knew everything that went on inside Arkham.

So what to do with Captain America? He was righteous, honourable and sickeningly sane; an all-round good guy and seemingly incorruptible. The man was a challenge and The Joker loved a challenge. Joker wholeheartedly believed that any man could be brought to lunacy; one bad day was all it took to turn the sanest man alive to madness. All you had to do to give someone a bad day was push the right buttons and the best way to do that was to use their weaknesses against them. But what were Captain America's? Right now The Joker wasn't certain but with time he knew he could figure them out.

Getting lost in amusing thoughts on what he could do to the good Captain, The Joker was rudely jerked out of his thoughts by the familiar click of his cell door unlocking. Jumping to his feet with the grace and agility of a cat, Joker tried the door. It opened. Someone had unlocked his cell, but why? He hadn't ordered anyone to do so. As he entered the corridor, he realised that his wasn't the only cell that had been opened. As far as he could see all the cells in the corridor had been unlocked. He giggled madly as he watched chaos unfold as the inmates began to run amok. The Joker didn't know why the inmates had been released and he didn't particularly care, but someone clearly wanted them free and who was he to deny such a wish? Slipping silently down the corridor, The Joker made his way to the delivery entrance, knowing from previous escapes that it was the least guarded of all the exits.

The Joker had almost made it out when he heard footsteps heading his way. Slipping effortlessly into the shadows of the dark Asylum, he watched in surprise as the Avengers went trooping past led, remarkably, by Captain America. Shouldn't the good Captain be wasting away in a damp cell in the basement, where Arkham kept the prisoners no-one was allowed to know about? And if he had escaped, why on earth had he come back? Intrigued, The Joker decided to follow. After all you never know what you might learn.

Sticking to the darkness, The Joker followed them to a basement corridor. He watched them enter a room at the end. A room he knew well for he had used it to punish Babydoll whenever she refused to do as she was told. He waited patiently at the other end and was surprised and angry when Captain America emerged with his Babydoll. What did that jumped up hero think he was doing? Babydoll was The Joker's property and he didn't like people touching his things. As the Avengers made their way back to where he was, Joker decided it was time to have a few words with the good Captain and his merry band of heroes.

"My, my, my, what have we here?" he said and watched with satisfaction as they came to an abrupt halt.

At the insistence of Captain America, The Joker came into the dim light. Ignoring the Avengers, Joker concentrated on Babydoll. She had been tortured that was clear enough. The guards hadn't done this, they knew better than to touch what was his. No, Hydra had done this. They were the only ones that would dare. Putting two and two together, Captain America's imprisonment and escape, coupled with Babydoll's injuries told him that she had been involved in his escape, and punished for it. Now he really was angry, how dare the ungrateful brat help a superhero? He'd punish her himself when he got her back. Speaking of which, The Joker turned his attention to the man holding her. Captain America had a look of stubborn defiance on his face. He wasn't going to give her up without a fight and The Joker was well aware that he was outnumbered. Hand to hand combat had never been a strength of The Jokers, he relied on his superior mind to defeat his enemies. It was typical hero behaviour of course, protect the helpless little girl; except The Joker knew something Captain America didn't, Babydoll wasn't helpless, he had seen to that. He had taught her a great deal over the years. She was going to be his legacy; he would make sure of it.

Laughing at the Avengers pitiful threats, The Joker watched the good Captain closely and wondered if perhaps letting him take Babydoll might be a good idea after all. Maybe his Babydoll could provide the answer to breaking the Captain. It was clear he had foolishly become attached to Babydoll and she to him. Perhaps he could break them both at the same time. It would certainly give him something to do. With Batman busy battling alien heroes perhaps a few new people to play with would be fun. The Joker suddenly realised that if he planned this right he could reclaim Babydoll, drive Captain America crazy and destroy the Avengers all in one go. With his plan already starting to take shape, he gave Captain America a choice, take Babydoll and regret it or give her back. The Joker already knew that brave, honourable Captain America wouldn't give her back; in fact he was counting on it. He was right.

Oh, this was going to be so much fun!

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My disabilities can often make writing and using a computer hard but the next chapter is already partially written so hopefully you won't have to wait so long. Thanks for sticking with it x**

 **Up next: Babydoll**


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